Abneb johnston



- (No Model.)

-A. JOHNSTON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 288,816. Patented NowQO, 1883.

wwfissszs: A INVENTOR Qhflfiwww BY WZ I I W ATTORNEY ABNER JOHNSTON,

UNITED. STATES PATENT @rrrce.

or CORNWALL, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO NELSON s'ncon, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-COUPLING.

srnorrrcerron forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,816, dated November 20, 1883,

Application filed August 21, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ABNER JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cornwall, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of carcouplings which consist of a link, couplingpin, and draw-head, and not automatically; and it consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

I am aware that heretofore there have been used coupling devices of this class in which the coupling-pin is suspended in the draw-head in such a manner that the end of the pin will project into the opening in the draw-head, so that when the link passes into the latter it will strike the end of the pin, thereby disengaging it and causing it to drop through the link. I am also aware that the pin has thus been suspended in the draw-head by means of a notch cut in the side; but as all draw-heads are not of the same thickness, and as the distance between the upper surface of the drawhead and the roof or upper surface of the mouth or opening of the draw-head is not the same in all cases, it is evident that different pins must be used to suit the different kinds of draw-heads.

It is the obj ectof my improvement to render necessary the use of only one pin for all drawheads of whatever thickness, and to provide a pin that will not fail to operate by becoming caught on thetop of the draw-head or on the edge of the hole in the same. I attain these objects by constructing the coupling-pin with two or more notches and by flattening the pin above said notches, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a draw-head of a car, with the coupling-pin in position prior to coupling with another car. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a draw-head of another car desired to be coupled with the first, with the pin in position; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the two draw-heads, pins, and links after the coupling has been effected.

(No model.)

I? is the coupling-pin; 2f, the point or end of the same.

at n are notches cut into the sides of the pin.

D is a draw head; .9, the mouth of the same.

L is a coupling-link, and h is a hole in the draw-head D, through which the coupling-pin P passes to engage the link L. This hole is enlarged on the upper side, as shown in Fig. 2, and inclines toward the center, so as to guide the descending pin into the hole.

The notches a should be made at such distances from the end tof the coupling-pin P that when the pin is placed in the position shown in Fig. 2the end twill projectashort distance below the roof of the opening or mouth 8, designed to receive the link L. The notches should also be made on different sides of the pin, and the end of the coupling-pin should be slightly tapered or pointed, as shown at t, in order to enable the link L the more readily to pass under the same, as hereinafter described.

I find that the device will work more smoothly if the coupling-pin P be somewhat flattened or milled down immediately above the notches n, as shown at e.

I do not claim a coupling-pin provided with a notch to hold it suspended in the draw-head, for I am aware that such is not new; but I at= tach importance to the peculiar form of notch shown, as well as to the flattened or milled portione above each notch. I havefound from practical use that in all coupling-pins where the notch is cut at right angles to the face of the pin the pin is very liable to catch on the edge of the hole in the draw-head; or where heavier pins are used the weight of the pin, together with the notch resting on the top of the draw-head, so holds it in that position that when the cars come together they fail to remove it, and hence the coupling'is not efiected. I obviate this difficulty by making the notches of substantially the form shown in the drawings. A pin thus constructed never fails to operate as soon as the cars come in contact, for it will readily be seen that there is no square corner to catch on the top of the drawhead or on the edge of the hole in the same,

the form of notch shown rendering it almost impossible for the pin to catch; but to do away with all uncertainty, I flatten the pin imme diately above the notch, so as to make the notch within the line of the pin, and the lower part of the pin thus serves as a fender to ward off the notch so it cannot catch.

In the use of my invention the pin 1? is inserted into the hole It in the upper part of the draw-head, as shown in Fig. 2, in such a manner that one of the notches it engages the edge of the hole h and the end it projects a short dis tance into the opening or mouth 8 of the drawhead, while the next lower notch on the opposite side of the pin assists in holding the latter in position, as shown in Fig. 2, as it enables the pin to assume a more inclined position than would be the case if therewere but one notch or if both notches were on the same side of the pin, as has been proposed. The cars desired to be coupled together are then brought into contact with each other in the usual manner, and the link L, as it passes into the mouth 8 of the draw-head D, strikes the end of the coupling pin 1?, thereby disengaging the notches n, lifting the coupling-pin into a vertical or nearly vertical position, and at the same time passing under the end of the pin P,

when the latter immediately falls through the link, as shown in Fig. 3.

A great advantage in the use of my improvement is that the same links, draw-heads, and coupling-pins now in use may be employed, it being only necessary to alter the shape of the pins, as herein described.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A coupling-pin provided with two notches substantially of the same size, arranged one upon each side of the pin and at different distances from the point, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A coupling-pin provided with two or more notches on the side, and flattened or milled portions of less depth immediately above each notch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The coupling-pin 1?, having notch n, of substantially the form shown, and a flattened portion, as 6, immediately above said notch, as and for the purpose set forth.

ABNER JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, G120. M. BAKER. 

